The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough towards the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. Covering a total area of approximately 7.63 square miles, it is within the eastern part of London and covers a great deal of the conventional East End. The London Borough of Hackney lies to the north of the borough whilst the River Lea forms the boundary with the London Borough of Newham towards the east. On the other side of the Thames is the London Borough of Southwark to the southwest, The London Borough of Lewisham towards the South, plus the Royal Borough of Greenwich to the southeast. The River Lea also forms the boundary between those parts of London historically in Middlesex, with those formerly in Essex.
In accordance with population estimates made in the middle of 2014, the borough includes a permanent population of about 284015 people. A number of the tallest buildings in London occupy the centre of the Isle of Dogs in the south of the borough.
The borough is also fairly well-known for being the home of the Women's Library in Aldgate, which is Great Britain's principal library and museum resource on women and the women's movement, particularly concentrating on Britain during the 19th and 20th centuries. Furthermore, a part of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is in Tower Hamlets.